Singer Gabito Ballesteros was arrested early Saturday morning after performing the song “AMG” at the International Livestock Fair of Querétaro, in the municipality of El Marqués. According to the National Registry of Detentions, the artist was taken into custody by state police and handed over to the FGR (Federal Attorney General’s Office).
The federal prosecutor’s office has confirmed that it is investigating him—along with four other men—for the possession of a firearm restricted for exclusive military use, as well as for disobedience and resisting authority. Event organizers stated that they halted Ballesteros’s concert because he performed “unauthorized songs that glorify criminal activity” on two separate occasions. Last year, Mexican authorities launched a campaign against *narcocorridos* (ballads about drug trafficking), which led some local governments—including that of Querétaro—to ban their performance in public spaces.
Along with artists such as Gloria Trevi, Alejandro Fernández, Grupo Firme, and Cristian Castro, Ballesteros was one of the headline acts at this year’s Querétaro Livestock Fair. Before the event, the singer—a native of Sonora—was required to submit his planned setlist for review.
“During this review, songs that glorify criminal activity were explicitly excluded, in accordance with current regulations,” the concert’s organizing committee stated. The singer claims that while he was told he could not perform the songs “Presidente,” “Lou Lou,” or “El Tsurito,” he received no such instructions regarding “AMG.”
